DTotD: Giampiero Pinzi drags Stewart Downing down by the shoulders, finds it hilarious

Brooks Peck

Dirty TackleOctober 4, 2012, 9:34 PM GMT

Udinese's Giampiero Pinzi committed what it likely to be the Europa League's most blatant foul this season when he stopped Liverpool's Stewart Downing from charging towards goal by pulling him to the ground by the shoulders from behind. The offense came in the 68th minute with the scored even at 1-1. Downing found open space down the flank and was sprinting towards the box when Pinzi decided to take him down by any means necessary (gif here).

Downing protested while Pinzi laughed and the referee pulled out a yellow card. Two minutes later, Liverpool's Sebastian Coates gave Udinese a lead from an own goal and Giovani Pasquale put them up 3-1 in the 72nd minute. Luis Suarez kept Liverpool in it by scoring three minutes later, but the match still ended 3-2.

This has been the Dirty Tackle of the Day: a chronicling of unfortunate events.